TAKE YOUR SHOTS
Ivan, Irin's brother, drove us to Tytas's place. He insisted that Irin take care of me, watch over me, and not let me drink or take anything from those fuckers—Tytas's friends, as he called them. It should be the opposite, but it has always been this way since I came into their family's world.
Their parents are very welcoming, kind, and generous—full of love, care, and especially food. They are very authentic. They speak what they think, but in their own ways, and embrace who they are. That shaped Irin and Ivan into who they are: brave and spirited, unafraid to confront what they believe is wrong.
They have always cared for me and generously given me everything I lacked. They understand how young people like me can grow up with wealth and still be missing something, because no person or family is perfect. Even though I never said or told them anything, they nourished me anyway. Perhaps that is simply who they are.
Irin and I hold hands as we enter Tytas's place, where quite a lot of people are already arriving and filling the front yard. It's not private anymore, I think.
Irin is wearing a white dress, contrasting with my black one like yin and yang, a black swan and a white swan. She looks like an angel, and I must be her devil. But we share the same mind—neither high enough in good deeds nor far enough down the road to hell to meet the demons.
We are teenagers, after all. It's all about lessons and mistakes.
She catches me when I fall, and I walk through thorns with her while holding her hand. She drinks the pain with me as we face our troubles. We laugh, cry, and celebrate together. I'm ready to meet her demon, and I know she will be able to handle my dark side.
As we enter the house, we pass through the crowd and the eyes watching us from the yard. The inside of the mansion is quite different from the outside. There are not many people here, but still too many from my point of view.
Through the crowd, I see glamorous gentlemen seated on couches arranged around them, facing one another. I immediately notice the golden-haired man wearing a plain white shirt with black pants and the copper-haired man wearing a navy shirt with black pants, his hair pushed back.
They are both looking at me.
"Let's see." Holding my hand, Irin pulls me closer and whispers in my ear. "You'll see that I was right," she says.
Is she talking about Vik? I glance at them as they glance at me, and suddenly, the man in the navy shirt is standing before me.
"Letizia," Tytas calls my name, and I look up at him.
"Hi," I greet him.
Tytas looks at me without saying anything for almost a minute—too long.
"I'm here too, you know," Irin says.
He shifts his gaze to Irin. "Hi—welcome. There are many people here, but there are quite a few quiet spaces as well if you want to avoid the crowd."
"I don't mind," I reply.
He smiles. "I'll show you around," he says, then signals to the servants carrying trays of drinks. He gives us one each.
"What is it?" Irin asks.
"French 75. It's not that strong," he says.
"Well, I hope you have a drink station." Irin isn't pleased with the choice.
"Heh, then follow me," Tytas says and leads the way.
As we walk beneath the gazes of others, Tytas shows us the classy drink stations in the bar area. Music plays in the background. There is a pool at the back, a jacuzzi in the corner, and a DJ booth outside.
"Aren't you scared people will enter your… private area?" Irin asks, noticing the number of people around.
"Well, the private area is off-limits. People are guarding the second floor."
"Ahh—I see," Irin says, glancing at me.
"It might be more crowded an hour from now," Tytas says.
"I never thought you'd… open this place to everyone," I say bluntly. "Is it because you guys made it to the final round?"
He looks at me, caught off guard, then smiles a little.
"What if you win the championship? Probably the whole town," I tease.
"Hehe, well, we're proud and grateful for every single match," he replies. "If you want to sit with us—"
"Maybe… later. Right now, I want to have some fun," I say.
"Yeah, instead of sitting with your buddies, we need to drink at least a couple of glasses," Irin says.
He pauses and licks his lower lip. "I understand."
Irin raises her eyebrows with a smirk. "Zia, let's go to the booth over there," she says, turning to me.
"Ah, Letizia—" Tytas tries to hold me back by lightly touching my back with his right hand. "He won't bother you… I want you to have fun," he whispers beside my face as I look at him, still holding Irin's hand. He moves his lips closer to my ear. "I'll come to you later if you don't come to me," he whispers again.
He locks eyes with me, waiting for my answer.
Shit, he's so gorgeous. He's always been gorgeous, but I've never looked at him like this.
I nod, and then he smiles.
"Well then…" Irin breaks our prolonged eye contact and drags me away from him.
We step into the pool area. The DJ booth doesn't have a place of its own; it's open for anyone to walk past and dance around. The DJ also seems sophisticated enough to stay chill and not mind them. He doesn't seem to care, lost in his own world.
We finished our French 75s. We walk around, aware of other people's existence but not caring enough to greet them. We put down our empty glasses and take each before entering the open dance floor.
Irin and I dance together freely, as if we're in our bedrooms with no one around, beneath the bright lights and the dark sky. Who would have thought that old money like Tytas Oskar could throw a party like this? It's still classy but tempting enough to let the spirit have fun and be free.
And the music—geez, I love this song.
"Hey, when are you going to join them…" she says, holding my hands and dancing closer to me. "Take me with you, 'kay?"
I dance down with her, and she raises my hand and lets me spin for her.
"Don't go there alone."
"Yesss—" I drag out the word with a smile. "Ma'am."
I lean my face toward hers and press my forehead against hers. "Hehehe," I chuckle.
"Good girl," Irin says, chuckling with me. "But how can I be in detective mode if there are guards on the second floor?" she asks while dancing and whispering in my ear.
"I know the way," I whisper back.
"Yes! You sit beautifully and have fun at the bar, and I'll be the FBI," she says with a spark in her eyes as we pull each other closer and then apart.
"You have to promise me… you need to be careful." I spin her. "If you get caught…"
"I won't. You know me—it's what I do," she says, gently combing her fingers through my hair and holding my face. "There's gotta be something more than what we see. If—only if—I can find his lair…"
"Lair?" I repeat.
"Their lair. The buddies' lair—Vik and him. Maybe they're…" She pauses and gives me a mischievous look.
"Irin… you're making me imagine things."
"Hahahaha. By the way—he's looking at you."
"Who?"
I quickly turn toward the pool, where many people are looking, so I don't know who she means. I'm about to look away when my eyes lock onto the guy in a black shirt and black cap. He's leaning against a white fence covered in flowers. He lifts his chin and looks straight at me from beneath his cap. I can barely see his eyes, but I can feel them. His jaw is sharp as hell, even when he's facing me straight on.
"Who else?" Irin says.
I turn my attention to the golden-haired man in a white shirt, sitting on the glamorous poolside bench. "Not just him," she says in my ear, then turns toward the target of her gaze.
It's Tytas, talking to his friend, but his eyes are over here. Irin holds my waist and pulls me closer. I shift my gaze back to the one who attracts me most, but he's gone.
I've felt something different these past few days. The man in black makes my body freeze and sends chills through me, like when I open the window and welcome the cold—just like the man with the bike.
"Let's go. It's time," she says. Irin holds my waist and leads me inside. "Now tell me," she says, and I take another glass from the tray for each of us.
"There's a staircase behind the main entrance." I put my arm around her neck while she holds my waist. "It's behind the big white shelves."
"How do you know?" she asks.
"Hehe, I used to come here like it was an amusement park."
"What!?" she shouts.
"Shhh. This place is big and hard to tour in one day." I lower my voice.
"You're fucking sneaky… oh my." Irin smirks at me proudly.
"I was young back then. I was curious," I explain. "But how do I keep the owner of the house busy?" I say, thinking aloud.
Irin stops walking and pulls me to a halt.
"You know how," she says.
She keeps looking at me, glaring until I realize what she means.
"Irin…" I call her softly.
"Please…" she begs. "I know you're kinda… into him a little."
"What?" I'm a little shocked.
"I see it—the intensity. Don't tell me you don't feel anything," she says.
"I—a little," I say, softening my voice.
I don't want to lie. Our interactions these past few days have made me feel something.
"Hehe, he's literally into you. He fucking can't take his eyes off you—as he's proving right now," she says.
"What?"
I turn around and see Tytas coming this way.
"Stay with him. Vik will come to you if you don't," she says, turning my face back toward her before she leaves.
She signals for me to look outside. I see Vik looking at me and Felicia enjoying a conversation with her besties.
"You'd better find something," I say lightly.
Irin winks at me and leaves.
"Hey." Then Tytas calls me from behind. I turn to face him. "Where is Irin going?"
"Um—the restroom," I lie.
He nods. I shift my eyes toward Vik, and he's about to get up.
"Umm…" I don't know what to say, so I step closer to Tytas. He glances at Vik after noticing my discomfort. Then he places his hand near my back, not fully touching it.
"Do you want to go somewhere?" he asks softly.
I turn toward Vik as he downs his entire drink, his eyes upset. I look up at Tytas and nod.
He walks with me, his hand supporting my back as he tries to keep anyone from bumping into me.
"Your cheeks are pretty pink right now," he says. "Are you hot?"
"Probably because of the drinks," I answer.
"I'm glad you seem to be having fun." He pauses. "I haven't seen you enjoy yourself like that before."
"I always enjoy myself—you just haven't seen it," I say.
The corner of his mouth curls upward as he waits at the bar for a drink without ordering anything.
I turn around and see tons of people coming in, along with a group of girls in fancy little dresses glaring at me. They must be Tytas's fangirls.
"I'm jealous—of Irin," he says. I turn to look at him. "She gets to see every part of you," he explains. He grabs a drink and downs it. "And it seems like she's the only person you allow to touch you like that," he says while staring at the bottom of the glass.
I watch his behavior, and my eyes keep drifting toward his hand. His words make my pulse quicken, and only my skin can feel their effect.
He takes another glass.
"Shall we?" he asks.
"Where?" I ask.
"Our quiet space," he replies with a small smirk.
Tytas takes me away from the crowd, the noise, and the chaos surrounding the main hall. The corridor is dimly lit, and I can smell lavender in the air. It's very calming.
I see the staircase I mentioned to Irin. I give it a quick glance and follow him into the private, quiet living area, though he can still see the way up to the second floor. He takes me to the vintage sofa and sits beside me.
"Do you remember?" he asks.
"Hehe, yes." I chuckle as I look around the room.
"We used to hang out in this room all the time," he says, raising his glass to take a drink. "Back then, you came here often."
I look at the things beneath the living-room tables. We used to play a lot of board games—all of them, even chess—in this room, on the carpet.
"I miss those times," he says.
I turn to look at him, and his eyes are already fixed on me.
"You were just a tiny little boy back then," I say with a small smile. "But right now…"
He's pretty intimidating.
"Right now…" he repeats, waiting for me to finish my sentence. He leans forward, resting his elbows on his thighs.
"You're grown up—a big boy now." I chuckle.
Honestly, I don't know what to say or how to compliment him. He already receives the best compliments from everyone else.
"Hehe." He chuckles and smiles widely. "I'm still that boy, you know… to you," he adds.
"Can I…" I say, looking at him as he waits patiently, as always. "Have your drink?"
He smiles, leans back against the backrest, and gives me the glass. I take it from him and sip.
"Urgh."
"Hehehe." He laughs joyfully. "Not your cup of tea?"
"Don't tell me you like this drink?" I ask.
"Yeah… it's my fav—" He pauses when he sees me finish his entire drink in one go. He continues watching me as I process the aftertaste.
"I think I know why you like it," I say. He keeps watching me with a smile. "Irin says you like me."
His pupils widen.
"I thought you knew…" he says, gently taking the empty glass from my hand and placing it on the side table beside him. "Everybody knows," he adds.
"I don't," I reply.
He turns to look at me with a hint of surprise.
"Ahh… I thought it was obvious. Maybe I didn't make it obvious enough…" He chuckles under his breath and rubs the back of his head. He looks nervous. "You have to know, right? All the things I do, the gestures…" He leans closer to me.
"Honestly, I thought you were just being polite," I explain.
"What? Haha, oh, Zia…"
"You meet a lot of people, and I see that you're very kind to others—especially girls." I pause. His green eyes look straight into mine. "You're a gentleman," I say.
"I've never treated anyone the way I treat you, Zia…" He softens his voice. "I want you to know that I really like you—a lot." He keeps his eyes locked on mine.
Suddenly, I see a shadow behind him, near the staircase.
Is it Irin?
"Zia…" he calls me, but my attention is fixed on something behind him. "What is it?" he asks, turning around.
But the shadow is already gone. I think it's Irin.
Then I realize Tytas called me by my nickname. It's the first time.
"You've never called me Zia before," I say.
He turns back to face me. "I've wanted to call you that," he says.
"Why didn't you?" I ask.
I feel the backs of his fingers lightly touch my left leg through my stocking.
"Ha—I'm" He wants to touch me, but I can sense his hesitation. "I didn't know if I was allowed," he says.
The top-tier popular boy at school, famous across the city, is confident and intimidating to everyone else, but suddenly, he's shy.
He looks so cute like this.
His smile and green eyes are pretty tempting, to be honest.
"I like it," I say.
I don't know whether it's the influence of the alcohol or simply me being myself.
I watch the tip of his tongue appear as he licks his lower lip again. I look up at him and feel his face moving closer.
Clang.
Suddenly, something is struck or falls to the floor. We stop and turn toward the staircase.
Fuck, is it Irin? I need to text her.
"Wait here, please," Tytas says before getting up and walking in that direction.
I quickly take out my phone and text her.
Me: Is that you? Hurry, he's about to go that way.
I send the message and follow him from behind. I look around, leaning to the side to see past his broad back.
I see nothing. There's no shadow.
Tytas turns left behind the staircase. I notice a black shadow again, but it looks bigger than Irin's body.
Tytas returns to me. "Maybe it was one of the servants," he says.
I nod.
Ting. I receive a message from Irin.
Irin: I'm coming down right now.
"Shit," I curse softly.
Tytas smiles, looking surprised. "Is something wrong?" he asks after noticing my expression.
I quickly grab his hand and pull him behind the staircase. I pin him against the wall.
He stares at me, stunned. "What is it?" he asks, confused.
I lean toward him as he places his hands on my waist. "Zia…" he calls me.
I look at him, staying stiffly in that position. What should I do?
Then I notice that the shadow is closer now, moving down toward the same floor as us. As my eyes follow it, I see Irin's high heels.
They're going to be loud.
Tytas is about to turn around. I hold his face between both of my hands and force him to face me.
"Look at me," I say. He looks confused and shocked. "Tytas, I…" I say softly, staring into his eyes.
He holds my waist properly now, his hands fully touching my back.
My eyes shift toward Irin as she sneaks away. She turns to me with her jaw dropped and winks.
It's not the time to joke around, Irin.
My heart beats so loudly, and I pray that Tytas won't turn around.
"Look at me—please," I say.
Tytas's left hand touches my right cheek. He strokes it gently. His touch draws my attention back to him. I keep holding his face, then slowly slide my hands down to his neck.
"I'm looking at you," he says.
He places one hand behind my neck and pulls me closer as he leans toward me. His upper lip brushes mine. Then his lower lip closes around it.
He kisses me.
"Tytas," someone calls him.
"Ha…" I gasp softly and lower my head as I pull my lips away.
We almost—have a fully official kiss.
We turn to look at the man. It's Vik, standing still and watching us.
"What?" Tytas asks in a low, irritated tone.
"They're about to leave," Vik says.
"So?" Tytas turns his face back to me.
"It's time for a game." Vik shifts his gaze to me.
Tytas removes his hands from me. "Heh, come on… your princess can play too," Vik adds.
"You go first," Tytas says, still looking at me.
Our bodies remain close, like two slices of bread in a sandwich. I glance at Vik, who is still standing there, waiting.
"Fuck, give us—"
"Heyyy…" Then Irin walks in, interrupting Tytas. "Umm—Zia," she calls as she approaches me and grabs my hand. "They're playing games. Let's go," she says, holding my hand.
I look at Tytas. "Games?" I ask him.
"Yes," he says quietly. He glares at Vik, then follows me.